Question

Can someone please explain this in a way my dumb brain would understand? WHY does 2 - (-8) = 10? Shouldn't it be decreasing to -6?

Answer 1

The reasoning is because you are subtracting 2. If you were to be adding 2, then it would be -6.

Since you are subtracting 2 it = 10.

Glad to help a Senior mod out.

Thanks, Plip.

Answer 2

Hey! The most intuitive way I've been explained the idea of subtracting negative numbers is in terms of debts. Subtracting a debt from your bank account has the effect of adding money to it. Imagine you had $10 in your account, but you owed $8 in debt; your current balance would show $2 in your account. If you took away that debt, though, you'd be back up to $10. If we imagine your funds as positive numbers and your debts as negative numbers, we could express taking away that debt as:

2 - (-8) = 10

Hope that makes a little more sense!